EU, US to meet Wednesday over in-flight laptop ban

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union and U.S. transport and security officials will meet in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss U.S. plans to broaden an in-flight ban on laptops and tablets to include planes from Europe.

European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said Monday that the high-level talks are “to jointly assess any new threats and work toward a common approach to address them.”

Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Elaine Duke is expected to lead the U.S. delegation.

Alarmed at the proposal, which airline officials say is merely a matter of timing, European governments held talks with their U.S. counterparts on Friday.

The ban would affect trans-Atlantic routes that carry as many as 65 million people a year on over 400 daily flights, including business travelers who use laptops to work in-flight.